CORE AERATION, This is a process that the more traffic on your lawn the
more often you should have it done. Core areation is a process that pulls
plugs of soil from your lawn, opening it so that water, fertilizer, and other
lawn products can reach the roots of your grass. This is also a great time to
over seed your lawn. The holes make a great place for the seed to germinate.
The holes allow the soil to move around with winter freeze and thaws. The soil
loosing up than allows the grass roots to spread through out the soil thicken
up your turf.
I recommend that everyone have this done every year. If you have
pets, kids or if you use a large heavy garden tractor to mow your lawn with
you should do this every year. Some of you may need to do it every spring and
fall. It all depends on the amount of traffic on your turf. Some mowing
services will use the largest garden tractor they can as to get more work done
faster. The larger the heavier, the more the compaction. If you have a fairly
new sodded lawn that was laid on top of clay soil you will need to start this
process after your sod has rooted. I would suggest that you do it each year
for about five years and over seed each time. This will allow grass to start
from seed on your lawn. Sod is not always the best long term lawn. The best
time to do this and over seed would be late August through September depending
on where you live. Aeration with out seeding can be done as long as the ground
is not frozen, spring, fall or during the summer if you wish. I like to do
most of mine in the fall so the spring rains do not make mud balls out of the
plugs and the kids or pets bring them in on their feet.
